Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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72 MARCH 2019 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FOOTBALL RECRUITING BY BRYAN DRISKELL N otre Dame signed 49 players in the 2018 and 2019 classes, and when one looks at the roster beyond next season, the numbers across the board are well balanced. Some positions are more loaded and proven than others, but even where numbers are shaky the quality is encouraging. The last two recruiting cycles have put Notre Dame in position where it doesn't need to worry about restock- ing the roster from a numbers stand- point. Instead, the focus in the 2020 class is about adding impact talent everywhere. How many spots it will have in the 2020 class will be determined by de- partures over the next year, which includes players that leave between now and the start of the 2019 season and any possible early entrants into the 2020 NFL Draft. Currently Notre Dame is looking at assembling a fairly typical volume of 20-23 players. QUARTERBACK Players On The 2020 Roster: 3 Projected Take: 1 Notre Dame offered just one quar- terback in the 2020 class, and that was New Canaan (Conn.) High star Drew Pyne. After Pyne camped at Notre Dame in June 2017, offensive coordi- nator Chip Long knew exactly who he wanted in the cycle. The Irish re- cruited Pyne hard over the next 10 months and the signal-caller commit- ted on April 16, 2018, becoming the first pickup of the 2020 class. Pyne — the No. 5 pro-style quarter- back and No. 56 overall prospect na- tionally per Rivals — is a well-known recruit that has shined on the camp circuit. He is a precise passer with a strong command of his prep offense, passing for 7,304 yards and 81 touch- downs while rushing for 923 yards and 12 scores through his first three years in high school. Landing a player with his talent and reputation should provide the 2020 of- fensive class with a linchpin. Having one of the nation's best quarterbacks should be a great selling point for the premier wideouts and running backs in the 2020 class. RUNNING BACK Players On The 2020 Roster: 5 Projected Take: 1-2 Barring a transfer or position change, Notre Dame is expected to have five running backs returning to the 2020 roster. All five of those play- ers will enter that season with at least two seasons of eligibility remaining, which puts the Irish in a good posi- tion from a numbers standpoint. What the position lacks is the kind of impact talent found at programs like Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State and Oklahoma. That will be the task for new position coach Lance Tay- lor, who mentored a Heisman Tro- phy runner-up (Christian McCaffrey, 2015) and recruited another (Bryce Love, 2017) while at Stanford. Landing New Canaan (Conn.) High standout Drew Pyne — Rivals' No. 5 pro-style quarterback and No. 56 overall player in the country — was a strong way to kick off the 2020 class for the Fighting Irish. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Loaded Depth Chart Has Irish Looking For Top Talent In 2020 Class